The Union of Turkish Municipalities mobilises its members to stop sexual violence against children

Gaye Doganoglu Vice-President of the Congress and Head of the Turkish Delegation, and Selim Cesur, International Children's Centre

Convinced of the importance of the Council of Europe’s ONE in FIVE Campaign in fighting sexual exploitation and abuse of children, the Union of Turkish Municipalities (UMT) launched an awareness-raising campaign amongst its members during its General Assembly on 4 June 2014.

The UMT, together with its partners including the International Chidlren's Centre which is coordinating the ONE in FIVE Campaign in Turkey, has financed the translation into Turkish and the printing of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ Pact of Towns and Regions to Stop Sexual Violence against Children and the Pact Toolkit, and also the Council of Europe’s Kiko material.

During the General Assembly, Congress Vice-President and Head of the Turkish Delegation, Gaye Doganoglulent her support to the UMT in launching the campaign and distributing the materials.

The Congress’s Thematic Spokesperson on Children, Johan van den Hout, welcomed the UMT’s excellent initiative. “The national associations of local and regional authorities are very valuable partners for the Congress. They are ideally placed to raise the awareness of Europe’s towns and regions of the Congress’s Pact to stop sexual violence against children. I encourage the associations in the other 46 Council of Europe member states to follow Turkey’s example and launch awareness-raising campaigns amongst their members. It is important for towns and regions to adhere to the Congress’s Pact and to work together to combat the abuse and exploitation of children”.